Method of producing catalytic reactions



Patented Oct. 20, 192,5.

UNITED ASTAT-15sA HANS E. vHAGGENIAIZH'JLR@ 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD 0F PBODUCING CTALY-TIC REACTIONS.

, appiimitn med April is, mi. semi No. 400,990.

To all wlwm, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HANS E. I-IAeenN- Mmmm, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, and resident of the borou h of Manhattan, city, county, and State of ew York,

have invented' certain newv and useful- Im-Y provements in Methods of Producing .Catalytic Reactions, of which the following is' a specification.

.This invention relates to an improved method of producing catalytic reactions be'- tween gases, vapors, gases and vapors or other -iluids It is one ofthe .primary objects of my present invention to provide a method of this character of such a nature that it will result in the elimination of accumulation of poisoned catalyticl a ent in the reaction chamber and will pr uce a constant or unvvarying percentage of `the desired end product.

My invention also contemplates a method wherein an unactivated catalytic agent is uniformly distributed in the reaction chamber to thereb -produce a maximum yield of the end pr uct for a predetermined temperature, ressure and rate of flow of the reacting uid.

I also aim to rovide a method of producing catalytic emical reactions whereby the reaction may becontinuoiislyl carried on,

and it is unnecessary to periodicallyjnterrupt the process to rep ace the poisoned catalytic agent by a .regenerated catalytic ent and wherein the catalytic agent is emoyed in such form that its regeneration may be more readily accomplished.

More particularly, by means of the pres` .ent invention I propose to dispense altogether with the use of a support for the catalytic agent which has heretofore been commonly employed in' such reaction processes and whic as-is well known, resu ts inA a more or less uncertain contact of the gases with the catalytic agent andthe production of undesirable byroducts, Such support being likewise diicu t of preparation and seriously interfering with rapid and'thorough regeneration of the catal tic a ent.v v

With the above and ot er objects in view the linvention consists Ain the improve method and in the several ste s thereof as will be hereinafter more fully escribed and vsubsequently incorporated in the'subjoini claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have catalyzer which d the catalytic agent in the materll 0f illustrated more or less diagrammatically, several typical types of apparatusv which may be successfully: employed in carrying out the present invention. AIn this drawing, 4 wherein similar reference characters desigin the several .dered or' comminuted catalytic agent;

*'Figure 2 is a similar view showing another type of apparatuswhich is ein loyed when the catalytic agent issu plie to the reaction chax'nberA in colloida suspensionwith afluid or liquid. It is the present practice in the art to which this invention relates to use a vfixed generally consists of a suitable more or less stituting the support and capable ofres1st ing disinte ation .by temperature, .pressure or chemica reactions occurring 1n the reaction chamber. This support is covered or impregnated with a lcatalytic agent, such forinstance as nickel, copper, `aluminum or; tungsten oxides or any of the other well known catalytic agents which are necessary "85 in order to produce the desired chemical reaction.

omogeneous material con- This fixed catalyzer is introduced into the reaction chamber and under suitable conditions of temperature andpressure the reacting gases are brought into intimate contact with through the reaction chamber.; The activa. tion 'of the catalyzer graduallyl decreases until finally, as. is commonly said, it fbe comes poisoned. It is then necessary tol the catalytic agent `during their How` remove the poisoned ca tal zer and replace the siameby a new-onegw ile. the poisoned.

, catalyzer is laid aside [for regeneration.

\Among the numerous disadvantages illcident to this method of producing catalytic ychemical reactions as new employed in the `art,` the folloiving may be mentioned:

'Izhe support of inactive material which isimpregnated withv the catalgtl .gnt occupies considerable space in t 4e regwtlon chamber and. owing to' the impregnation of support, it is quite diicultA to regenerate the agent or renew its catalytic powers. Moreover, the formation of the surtitself into suitable form is a more or' diieult and laborious operation.

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Secondly, in order to produce the desired reaction wherebya maximum 'yield of the end product may be obtained, it is essential that all of the reactin shall come into contact with the catatic agent.` Owing to the porous or permea le nature of the support a larger quantity of the gases assing through the reaction chamber wil come intol contact with certain parts of the surfaces of the support than with other parts thereof. This causes the catal ltic agent on spaced parts of the support to ome rapidly poisoned while that remaining on the other parts of the support is affected to a relatively negligible degree. In other words there occurs a non-uniform activation of the catalytic agent on thesupport and it becomes necessary to regenerate the entire catalzer before all of the catalytic properties ave been exhausted. Further, owing to thev use of such a fixed catalyzer thereis rogressively produced in the reaction chamr anA increasing amount of the poisoned catal tic agent, the presence of which is big y disadvantageous for reasons eneral'y recognized by those familiar wit the ar such for instance as the production of un esirable by-products.

v `Predicated upon aconstant temperature, pressure and condition of the catalyzer, there is a certain rate of ow of the reactin gases which will produce a maximum yiel of the desired end product. However, with a. fixed catalyzer, asA the condition of the catalytic agent is constantly changing and` its activity progressively decreases, it is obvious that in order to obtain such a maximum yield of the en d product, frequent analysis must be made and changes in the temperature, ressure or rate of ow'of the gases through t e reaction chamber made to compensate for the decreased activity of the catalytic a; ent.

The rep acing ofthe poisoned catalyzer withvthe new or regenerated catalyzer, parti'cularly when the reaction chamber is at high temperature and under a high pressure materially increases the operating cost Aincident to the consumption of time and labor.

It has also been foundv that due to the variable activation of the fixed catal zer and the changes inthe rate of ow'f t e gases, temperature, or pressure in the reaction chamber', which are resultant thereon,`th at the serious danger exists, particularly in organic chemistry, of the formation of undesirable side reactions or by-products.

The several deiicienciesof the prior art methodes above referred to I have succeeded in entirely eliminating by means of my present method which I shall now proceed to describe in connection with the accompanyi'iigdrawings disclosing several desirable types `of apparatus whereby the method 1s successfully carried out in practice.

names? In Figure 1 of the drawings, the catalyti(l agent in powdered or fine y comminuted form is periodicall supplied from a hopper or reservoir 5 to tlie feedin chamber 6 by o ening the valve 7. The ottom wall of t e chamber 6 is formed with a plurality of collectin funnels 8 open at their apexes and throng which the powdered catalyzei' falls in a lurality of small streams into the reaction c amber 9. The gases or vapors enter this chamber at its lower .end through the connection 1.0 and leave said chamber through the outlet connection 11. The catalyzer after falling through the reaction chamber 9 is collected in the chamber l2 80 which is connected to the lower end of the reaction chamber. The activated catalytic agent may be periodically removed from the chamber f 12 vby closing the valve 13 controllin communication between the collecting and reaction chambers and removing the cap or closure 14 on the outlet of the lower end of the chamber 12. If desired the cnt- A alytic agent may be regenerated and again introduced into the hopper or reservoir 5 by opening the closure 15 at the upper end of said reservoir. It will be evident that the temperature Iwith the chambers 5, 6- and 12 is appreciably less than the temperature in the reaction chamber 9. 95

In operation, the gases or vapors are continuously circulated through 4the reaction chamber from the inlet 10 to the outlet 11 and during such circulation there is a conv tinuous showering of the powdered cat- 101 alytic agent fromthe feeding chamber 6 through the reaction chamber. By` feeding the'catal zer into said chamber in a multiplicity o small streams, it is uniformly distributed throughout the area of the chaml" ber so that there will be a uniform action of the comminuted articles of the catalytic a nt and the csired reaction will take p acel with every particle of the gas oivapor passing throu h said chamber. As 1l" the used or poisons catalytic material is being constantly replaced by fresh material, the catalytic reaction occurring in thc cimmber 9 will. be of constant unvaryi'ng intelisty witha predetermined temperature, pres- 11'" sure and rate of ilow of the gases oi' vapors throu h the reaction chamber. As there is no co lection of the used or poisoned catalytic agent within the reaction chamber. Hw vapors or gases will constantly encounter n catalytic agent the powers of which are unm aired. As this a entis uniformly distri uted throughout t ie area of thc reaction chamber, the catalytic reaction 'will likewise be maintained at a constant uniformity with 11" a predetermined temperature pressure and rate of flow of the gases or vapors.v i

The used catalytic agent 'collecting in the from by removing the cap 14 and closing 13" lyltic material'to the reaction chamber and t e yield of the desired end product is greatly increased. By dispensin' with the use of fixed catalyzer support in the reaction chamber, frequent variation in the temperature and pressure of the gases or vapors entering said chamber becomes unnecessary.

The quantity of the catalytic agent supplied to the reaction chamber is determined in accordance with the temperature and rate of flow ofthe gases through said chamber, and

` ground catalytlc a illustrated in Figure 2. 'y

shown in Figure 2.

f means oft no further attention, other than replenishing the supply of the catalytic agent is requlred. I have above described an embodiment of the a paratus wherein the nel ant is showered throng the reaction cham r. However, the same result may be obtained by finely pulverizing the catal ic agent to such an extent that the speci c gravity of the individual particles is so far reduced that' they will be carried in suspension'A with the gases or vapors as.the latter pass through the apparatus. This embodiment of my invention I have In the construction the finely pulverized catalytic agent, preferably in` colloidal suspension in a suitable liiuid is supplied to the chamber 16 by e inlets 17. This chamber atits lowery end is provided with anf inlet 18 for the gases or va ors which flow upwardly through the cham r 18 and into the reaction chamber-19 which is horizontally disF posed and in communication with -the upvper end of the chamber 16. The reaction chamber is provided at--one endwith an outlet 20.

A collectin chamber 21 for the heavier particles 'of t e catalytic a nt'is connected to the lower end of the c amberv 16, communication between said chambers being controlled b'ythe ,valve 22 and the lower end of the chamber 21 having the removable closure. 23. I f

In the operation of this form-of ap aratus, the gases or vapors enteringthe c amber 16 at its lower end catch up and carry i in suspension the finely pulverized catalytic agent supplied to 'said chamber by the inlets 17. In t e passage of ,the gases and the catalyzer through the chamber 19, the desired reaction occurs. An desired means may be providedfor, effecting a separation of the catalytic a ent from the gases or vapors,` as by precipitation or filtering in the subsequent treatment for obtainin the desired -end product. Such particles o lthe and a maximum ent as are of greater specific at they are precipitated through 16 will be collected in the chamcatalytic a gravlty so t the chamber ber 21 from which they mav be periodically;

removed and regenerated. ile I have referred to the use of inectors for suppliilig the finely divided cata ytic` agent it wi understood that 'an desired equi-valent means might be emp oyed for this purpose;

and that the apparatus likewise maybe' o vvarious other forms than as herein illustrated. Infact, it is to be understood that the accompanying illustrations of apparatus aremerely for the purpose of enabllng the roved method o producing-catalytic reactions to be more readil vunderstood and that this method might carried out in practice by means of ixmumerable types ofi such a paratus as wouldA readily suggest themse ves to one s killedin the art.

It will be seen that the present inventionv completel overcomes the several serious deficiencies incident to the use of such methods as. have heretofore been employed and to which I have abovereferred. As the present method enables the catalytic reaction to be continuously 'carried on. with perfect invariability 'or uniformity of the catalytic power, a constant ratio between the volume and rate" of fiowof the reactin vaporsand-the suplyof the cata ytic agent may be maintain Therefore, a constant reaction of`known catalytic power, which is of primary importance in many cases, may

be assured. Owin to such assurance, quantity production o `the desired end product ,during a'deinite period of operation vmay be accurately determined. v

I have herein referred to .several desired ways in which my improved method may be successfully practiced, but it is nevertheless to be understood that the invention is sus-- ceptible of various modifications without material variation inthe final result. I accordingly reserve the privilege of adopting all such le 'timate chan es as ma be fairly embodied within theg y of the inventionl as claimed.

I claim: 1. The' method action to" the prv'uctionof side reactions comprising continuous] bringing -a reacting-duid'in contact 'with'- esh quantities of acatalytic agent continuously and uniformly distributed in the reaction zone .and continuously' withdrawing substantially all of the fused catalyst from the n reaction zone immediately, after once falling through the gases whereby side reactions are'avoided yield of the end product is obtained.

spirit and scope l l of eectin catalytic re- 2. The methodfof epEectin catalytic, re-

action to lminimize the "pro uction of `./'side reactions comprising continuous] bringing a reacting-duid in contact with resli quan- .l" v Lunes? tities of a. finely divided catalytic agent' conand a maximum yield of the end produc-t is tinuousl and uniformly distributed in a obtained. Y. v series o fine streams in the reaction zone testiluony that I laim the foregoing as 1o and 'continuously withdrawing substantially my IIIWIIJOII,4 I have Slglld my named here- 5 all of. the used catalyst from the `rveamtion nden v zone immediately, after once fall'iug through Y the gases whereby side reactions are avoided HANS E. HAGGENMACI-IER. 

